Eastern NY Youth Soccer Association

SECOND TOP LOGO (THE ONE ON THE RIGHT)

News

CJSL Parents to Complete The Sideline Project Course

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

March 11, 2025-The Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) are New York City originals since 1933 and the oldest youth league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) as well as all of American soccer. The CJSL has improved the game-day experience by partnering with The Sideline Project for the past three years. Starting with the Spring Season that has just kicked off, all parents of players in the CJSL’s 4v4 competitions will be required to complete The Sideline Project Course, a 15-minute interactive course designed to educate parents on proper sideline behavior.

The Sideline Project’s initiative to Inspire Players by Empowering Parents aligns with the CJSL’s belief that parents play a crucial role in shaping a child’s love for the game. This course will help them better understand how their sideline behavior can impact a young player’s development and also reinforce the importance of collaboration between parents, coaches, clubs and players in creating a supportive soccer environment. At the conclusion of the course, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion and be invited to add their name to The Sideline Project’s Virtual Pledge Wall, demonstrating their commitment to fostering a positive experience for all players.

“This initiative lays the foundation for future generations of soccer players by engaging the parents of our youngest athletes,” explained CJSL President Paul Kontonis. “Player development starts with a positive and supportive game-day environment, and the CJSL is committed to fostering that culture through its competitions and member clubs.”

CJSL Director Dimitrie Draguca added, “Our commitment is to provide the best possible playing environment for our athletes so they can maximize their development. By implementing this mandatory parent education program, we are ensuring that our players receive the support they need to thrive on and off the field.”

“The investment the CJSL is making towards positively affecting the lives of soccer players, families and dedicated coaches is commendable. We are proud to collaborate with the CJSL and are encouraged by their commitment to improving the youth sports landscape,” said Skye Eddy, Founder of The Sideline Project.

The Capital District Youth Soccer League (CDYSL) and Hudson Valley Youth Soccer League (HVYSL) are the other ENYYSA leagues that partner with The Sideline Project, both beginning that relationship this year.

With over 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 10 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/

Remembering the Amazing Tony Picciano

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

March 6, 2025-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is mourning the loss of longtime coach Tony Picciano, who died on March 4 at the age of 72. Tony was honored as the ENYYSA Personality of the Month a decade ago in February 2015.

Tony made his professional soccer debut for the New York Cosmos on June 15, 1975, which was his 23rd birthday, in a nationally-televised game on CBS and a sold-out stadium. One of the fans in the stadium was his father and it was Father’s Day. At to top it all off, Tony’s childhood hero, Pelé, has just come out of retirement and was his new teammate.

It sounds like a story out of Hollywood but that’s exactly what happened to Tony that day at Downing Stadium on Randalls Island. The result was a 2-2 tie vs. the Dallas Tornados and their American star, Kyle Rote Jr., and that game is remembered 50 years later for helping give a jolt to the American soccer boom.

Tony played for the Cosmos for one more year, in 1976, when their home games were at Yankee Stadium. 

Tony was born and grew up in Buenos Aires and played for the youth teams of the famed Boca Juniors. At the age of 11, Tony and his parents and younger sister emigrated to the United States and he started playing for Palermo FC of the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL). It was then on to LIU Brooklyn from 1971 to ‘75, where he was honored as All-State and All-Metropolitan for the Blackbirds and received the 1975 Dolly King Athlete-Excellence Award, presented annually to the student-athlete who exemplifies leadership, sportsmanship and achievement that the late William “Dolly” King personified as a student-athlete, administrator and coach.

“Throughout my early career, I played offense and midfield and I was a scorer,” Tony had said. “As a captain in my senior year at LIU, I was asked to help develop the incoming freshman in defense.”

While at LIU, Tony also competed for Palermo FC’s first team which played in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League (CSL). He also played for Calabria Roma of the Italian-American Soccer League (IASL). In the 1975 North American Soccer League (NASL) Draft, Tony was selected in the third round by the New York Cosmos. After the 1976 season, Tony was hired in passenger service for KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines and played for the KLM Blazing Bravos for the next decade.

“It was amazing traveling to different countries to play international games and representing KLM,” Tony had commented.

He moved to Malverne, Long Island, where he lived for the last 42 years of his life, and became a youth soccer coach. Tony coached his two sons playing for Merrick, Port Washington and Rockville Centre in the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) and for two decades, he coached many of the LIJSL’s top players in the Select Program and Player Development Program (PDP). He led the Boys-Under-16 and Girls-Under-16 PDP squads to undefeated trips through Europe in 2005 and 2006.

“I don’t play soccer any longer, but I have committed to pass on all I learned for the love of the game by coaching,” Tony had explained. 

Visitation is Thursday, March 6 from 4-6 pm at the Malverne Funeral Home Anthony J. Walsh & Son, 330 Hempstead Avenue, Malverne, NY 11565. Funeral Mass on Friday, March 7, 9:45 am at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church, 65 Wright Avenue, Malverne, NY 11565.

With over 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 10 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/

Fundraising Strategies from the Field

Grassroots Fundraising for Youth Organizations

Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association is inviting you to join us for a presentation by Andrew So, Executive Director of South Bronx Utd. who will be sharing information with our membership on “Fundraising Strategies”.  Please take this opportunity to attend and share this invitation with your clubs.  

“Fundraising is crucial for many non-profit organizations to be able to bring quality programs and services to underserved and low-income communities where families cannot usually afford them. When I attended my first US Soccer Foundation Symposium in 2010, I sought out every workshop connected to funding. Without developing our fundraising efforts, South Bronx United never would have been able to grow to have the impact it has today.” …….Andrew So

Topic:             Fundraising Strategies from the Field:  Grassroots Fundraising for Youth Organizations

Presenter:      Andrew So, Executive Director, South Bronx Utd. (Bio attached)

Date:               Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Time: 7:00 pm

REGISTER HERE

Soccer Referees Wanted

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

February 11, 2025-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is seeking new referees in the middle and assistant referees on the line due to the growth of its programs.

Society, including soccer, stopped five years ago due to Covid. When soccer resumed in August 2020, all the players enthusiatically came back, the referees not so much. But thousands of referees have become certified in Eastern New York since then. 

3,500 referees are now registered in Eastern New York, which State Referee Administrator Joe Brosi said is a “healthy number,” and they handled 80,000 assignments in 2024.

Brosi added, “I strongly encourage everybody to join a referee group. But don’t just pay a membership fee, show up at their meetings.”

Kambiz Riazi in black and Victor Borges in red instructing referees at the HB Thompson Middle School in Syosset

Certification and recertification classes are now taking place throughout Eastern New York. Focuses include control the controllable, such as dressing appropriately and arriving at least 30 minutes before kick-off. Recent recertification classes have discussed handball, which is now over 300 words in the rules and the wording has changed six times in the past seven years in an effort to make soccer fairer. But all the verbiage has also made soccer more complicated.

The minimum age is 14 years old to become certified. For information on becoming a referee or assistant referee, click here. If you have any questions, e-mail questions@enysreferee.org or newref@enysreferee.org

With over 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 10 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and US Youth Soccer. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/

Ella Biolchini Honored as Eastern New York’s Young Female Referee of the Year

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association 

February 5, 2025-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is pleased to state that Ella Biolchini has been honored as the Eastern New York Young Female Referee of the Year. The festivities took place during the Eastern New York Hall of Fame Banquet on January 25 at Marina Del Rey in the Bronx.

From left to right: ENYYSA President Richard Christiano, Young Female Referee of the Year Ella Biolchini, State Youth Referee Administrator Cheryl Aronson, State Referee Administrator Joe Brosi.

Ella took up the whistle in 2022 at the age of 14, the minimum age for becoming a referee. Since that time, she has blossomed into one of the most improved refs in Hudson Valley Youth Soccer League (HVYSL). The Mahopac resident has officiated multiple youth soccer tournaments in the Hudson Valley and was the referee for the 2023 Challenge Cup Girls-Under-10 final and 4th official for the Boys-Under-10 final. 

“Always open to receiving support through our mentoring program, we see a bright future for Ella,” stated Hudson Valley Soccer Referee Association (HVSRA) President Brian Baer.

Off the pitch, Ella participates in soccer, skiing, and track. Ella plays clarinet in symphonic band, and also plays the piano outside of school. Ella has been playing the clarinet since the fourth grade and piano since second.  She has performed in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) since sixth grade, and was in the All-County Concert for Clarinet in the 7th and 8th grades. Additionally, she volunteers for the Mahopac Friends of Music (the parent volunteer organization that supports the music program in the Mahopac Central School District), and for her school soccer team. 

With over 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 10 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and US Youth Soccer. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/

Parker Jackson Honored as Eastern New York’s Young Male Referee of the Year

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association 

February 4, 2025-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is pleased to announce that Parker Jackson has been honored as the Eastern New York Young Male Referee of the Year. The ceremony took place during the Eastern New York Hall of Fame Banquet on January 25 at Marina Del Rey in the Bronx.

From left to right: ENYYSA President Richard Christiano, Young Male Referee of the Year Parker Jackson, State Youth Referee Administrator Cheryl Aronson, State Referee Administrator Joe Brosi.

Parker joined the ranks of referee a few days after turning 14 in 2022, and since that time has developed into one of the Hudson Valley’s most improved referees. The Highland resident seeks the advice of other referees to increase his capacity as an official and has participated in a number of Hudson Valley Youth Soccer League (HVYSL) indoor and outdoor tournaments. Recently, Parker has joined the Hudson Valley Soccer Referee Association (HVSRA) Referee Academy and HVSRA anticipates that the additional support and education will afford him greater opportunities in the future as an official. 

Despite training, playing or officiating five to seven days per week, Parker consistently maintains an A average in school. Playing soccer has been his passion and officiating has allowed him to grow as a player and as a person. He volunteers with the Highland United Soccer Club at their weekend training sessions, where he hopes to cultivate a new generation of soccer players and teach a younger generation to love the sport. Parker can also frequently be found in his backyard with his eight-year old sister, running her through soccer drills. Parker is well-liked and well-respected by peers and coaches, having been named as the team captain for two of his club teams. As a current sophomore, was recently named to the Section IX, Class B All-Class team. 

With over 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 10 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and US Youth Soccer. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/

Luis Lewis Honored as Eastern New York’s Boys Competitive Coach of the Year

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association 

January 28, 2025-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is pleased to announce that Luis Lewis of Pleasantville has been honored as the Eastern New York Boys Competitive Coach of the Year. Luis was honored along with Beth Tiffany for this award. The ceremony took place during the Eastern New York Hall of Fame Banquet on January 25 at Marina Del Rey in the Bronx.

From left to right: ENYYSA President Richard Christiano, Boys Competitive Coach of the Year Luis Lewis, ENYYSA Second Vice President Bill Smith.

His friend and team parent Scott Searle wrote: I was amazed at this individual who had an endless enthusiasm for the game. He was constantly organizing round robin tournaments for the Under-12 boys which was above and beyond what anyone else was doing. In fact, no one was even close. As I would later learn, his passion for the game is boundless. A couple of years later, after I became personally frustrated and disillusioned by modern youth soccer with adult interest superseding that of the kids, I started coaching with Coach Lewis. Pure and simple, he gave me back my love of the game. I’ve learned more about soccer working with Coach Lewis over the past eight years than in my prior 45…

More important than the many accomplishments of his teams in the Westchester Youth Soccer League (WYSL) and beyond is the passion for the game that he shares with his players. In my experience, there is no coach more deserving of this award given his competence, passion and impact on these young men. Players regularly come back from college to train with the Gauchos and always say the Gauchos were their favorite soccer experience.

And in a world of pay for play, the Gauchos costs $150 a year. It caters to kids who can’t afford academy programs and/or are not good enough to make academy teams. All the coaches are volunteers and Coach Lewis solicits donations to limit costs. He has regularly turned down paying coaching roles to coach these kids. And he no longer has kids in the program as his last son graduated high school two years ago.

With over 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 10 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Children With Special Needs. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and US Youth Soccer. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/